The Popularity of Batman

When people think of superheroes, Batman is always up there along with the greats like Superman and Spiderman.  What's there not to like about Batman?  He has an awesome presence, cool costume, a slick car and an iconically deep voice, not to mention a ton of animated and live action adaptations.  But what separates himself from all the other superheroes?  He has no crazy powers like Superman's near invincibility and Spiderman's web techniques.  Ironically, it is this fact that answers the question.  Batman doesn't need any special powers to stop crime, and makes clever use of his gadgets in order to get the job done.  In the episode we watched in class, Batman even catches a cold, which is usually unheard of for superheroes.  The recent reading also touches base upon the idea of human weakness and its contribution to Batman.  The same logic can be said for certain presidents, including George W Bush.  His popularity stemmed from the fact that he was an ordinary, hardworking citizen.  Batman is no different.  He encourages those who watch to be the best that they can be, and that one human can accomplish great tasks.  His sidekick, Robin, also shares this trait.  He is the leader of the team in the animated show "Teen Titans".  Much like his mentor Batman, Robin's lack of powers doesn't limit him from contributing to his team.  All of the other heroes have powers, but he is not discouraged by this, as he uses his leadership ability to bring out the best of their powers.  Teen Titans is a great show by the way, worth a watch.  Don't bother with the new one.

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 25, 2018 at 7:43 AM

    Personally let be start at the end. Yes, the original Teen Titans was a bomb show, forget about the new one. Batman has always been a key discussion point in superhero conversations. Many people have argued that because of his mortal being, he is not a superhero. I however agree with you in the fact that he has gained "superhero status" by aiding those in need and being the best he can be.

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  2. UnknownNovember 27, 2018 at 9:25 AM

    There is this really cool youtube video that describes almost exactly what your saying. We love Batman because we can relate to him. Out of all of the superheroes that there is in both Marvel and the DC Universe, Batman is the one person that we can relate to the most. His superpower is being human.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HP5I-rU_Jg&list=LL5oaZRTgavIEw6oz_fXu7Pg&index=114&t=171s

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tyler JennesNovember 27, 2018 at 5:05 PM

    From what I can tell, hardly any of the Bat-family characters are actually super-powered individuals. Like aside from Duke Thomas and kinda Damian in that one weird arc, yeah they're all just regular Joes. What's interesting here is that by continuously recruiting people into his crusade, Bruce is also helping his comrades to further develop what makes them special. Be it Dick and his acrobatic nature or Tim and his detective prowess, every member has a certain skill that grows as they spend more and more time with Batman. Like sure, you might get brutally assaulted and paralyzed by the Joker for associating with Batman, but you also get really really good at computers.

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